Detroit: The Detroit Tigers have reportedly traded reliever Go Woo-suk to the Minnesota Twins, putting the South Korean pitcher on the verge of a major league debut.
According to Yonhap News Agency, MLive Media Group's Evan Woodbery tweeted that the Twins were acquiring Go in exchange for cash consideration. Dan Hayes of The Athletic noted that Go, who had not been on the Tigers' 40-man roster, has an assignment clause in his contract and must now be added to the Twins' roster. Later in the day, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that Go will be added to his new club's 26-man roster for Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians at Target Field in Minneapolis.
If Go takes the mound this week, he will become the 30th South Korean player in Major League Baseball (MLB) history and will join his brother-in-law, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, as the only two active South Korean players in MLB at the moment. Two others who have seen action this season, Kim Hye-seong of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Kim Ha-seong of the Atlanta Braves, are currently in the minors and on the injured list, respectively.
Go, 27, has been performing well in the minors for the Tigers. He posted a 0.66 ERA in eight outings in Double-A and then put up a 2.60 ERA in 19 appearances, covering 27 2/3 innings, in Triple-A. Across those two levels, Go has recorded 54 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings.
The right-hander was a two-time All-Star for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization and led the South Korean league with 139 saves from 2019 to 2023. He signed with the San Diego Padres in January 2024 but was traded to the Miami Marlins in May without having pitched in Major League Baseball. Go only reached as high as Triple-A in the Marlins system.
The Marlins released him in June 2025, and the Tigers acquired him on a minor league deal later that same month. Go spent the rest of the 2025 campaign in Triple-A, going 1-0 with a 4.29 ERA in 14 games. He became a free agent in November and rejoined the Tigers on another minor league deal in December.
Go pitched for South Korea at the World Baseball Classic in March and has performed well enough to force his way into the big leagues. The Minnesota Twins have an open spot on their 40-man roster, and thus, no corresponding move will be necessary.
The Twins' bullpen has the worst ERA in the majors with 5.28, and their opponents have hit .264 against the Twins relievers, the fourth-highest mark among the 30 big league teams. The Twins also rank in the bottom 10 in strikeout rate, walk rate, and groundball rate. Despite their bullpen challenges, the Twins remain in contention for a wild card spot in the American League, and that likely means Go will not be assured of a long look out of the bullpen.
In May, Go turned down an offer from the LG Twins to rejoin them, expressing his desire to keep pursuing his major league dreams. In a statement released by his Seoul-based agency, Leeco Sports Agency, Go thanked the LG Twins for their understanding. He also revealed that he and his wife are expecting their second child, attributing his recent success to his wife's support. "Now that I am on a new starting line, I will try to do my absolute best," Go said.